


Options

by Jena Bartley (jenab)



Category: Alias (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-05 15:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1823473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenab/pseuds/Jena%20Bartley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack presents Will with his options after his recent torture in Taipei and scrubbing his expose on SD-6</p>
            </blockquote>





	Options

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Recruitment challenge on [](http://alias500.livejournal.com/profile)[**alias500**](http://alias500.livejournal.com/)

“These are my only options? Witness Protection or Recruitment?”

“Yes. Be grateful you remembered in time to stop your story on SD-6 from being published.”

Will looked up from the file he was pursing. Evidence of his recent torture in Taipei still marred his face, his eyes tight with pain and looking haunted.

“Why? What would have happened to me?”

“In order to protect Sydney and myself the story would have to be discredited. The best way to do that and keep you alive would be for you to be found in a crack house high on heroin or cocaine. You would have been arrested, your reputation ruined and you fired from your job. As a first time offender you probably would only get probation and sent into a treatment program.”

Will blanched but didn’t look away from Jack. His courage and guts to face down Jack was one of the things that had surprised Jack in the last few weeks. That combined with Will’s quick intelligence and the way he’d made the connections with Danny’s death, and almost uncovered SD-6 had Jack hoping Will would chose recruitment into the CIA.

He was somewhat naive and idealistic. The naivety would fade with training and experience. The idealism could be tempered into something workable, as it had in Jack.. Something that would keep Will going when the missions turned bad and the betrayals and lies piled on top of each other. It was that idealism of serving your country which SD-6 had used to hide its true nature from its own operatives.

Jack waited, watching all of Will’s thoughts flicker across his face. That openness would also have to go, but right now it was interesting to see Will’s thinking process.

Will’s mind and his willingness to face down his fears, combined with his ability to follow orders and think on his feet made him an ideal candidate. Someone Jack might have approached sooner had Will been anyone other than his daughter’s closest friend.


End file.
